Tag Archives: Editorial

Colorless Privilege (you can quote me) simply means colorless people are treated fairly, humanely, justly, given opportunities to have success with the LEAST amount of resistance or MOST amount of support and have a governmental structure they can turn to when they feel they are not being given basic human rights (in a nutshell).

In a humane society, EVERYONE would be treated in this manner, however, in colorless dominated societies (by number, resources, systems or force), that isn’t the case. So being treated like a human becomes a “privilege” that most people do not experience on a constant basis.

People in a society of colorless people are considered second class citizens by birth; who are to be seen but not heard; provide service and not complain; accept the scraps and be grateful; allow the political majority to treat them anyway they want to without retaliation or protest; and assimilate in the system in a way that is comfortable to the majority- to be “acceptable.”

People born in this society of colorless people are also expected to be satisfied with making less money for the same positions; receiving poorer treatment while paying the same amount of money; being levied higher interest rates and lower credit scores for the same things; being given poorer medical treatment for overpriced services; being forced to attend crappy schools and live in collective squalor. ONLY a few ACCEPTABLE people are allowed (yes, allowed) to

On Friday, June 16, 2017, our collective expectations were unfortunately met with the not guilty verdict for the Minnesota cop who shot and killed Philando Castile, a Black man, during a traffic stop last year. Jeronimo Yanez was acquitted of second degree manslaughter and two counts of intentional discharge of a firearm that endangers safety.

Damn…

The shooting garnered worldwide attention after cell phone video footage of its aftermath filmed and uploaded onto social media by Castile’s then-girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds. In the video, she frantically describes what is happening while showing a confused and fading Castile bleeding in the passenger seat. Yanez can be heard yelling hysterically in the background.

Yes, justice has been, once again, deferred for Black people who have the misfortune of encountering police in this society. As if we needed reminding, the system(s) continue to fail

And of course, my most recent trip to Jamaica, which was INCREDIBLE, by the way would inspire a bit more conscious advice… No need in squandering the experience just on myself.

In travelling with others, and in the midst of resort guests, you can get lots of material (that I’ll send out over several installments).

But it always troubles me to travel to other places, particularly outside of the US, and see Black folks mistreating local Black and Brown folks, or rather, assuming the “Ugly American” stereotype. You know… arrogant, loud, eternally dissatisfied, and operating with the unrealistic expectation that America will be waiting on them hand and foot on their vacation.

So I’ve compiled just a few bullet points to help Black folks get the most out of their overseas experience.

Keep in mind that WHEREVER you are, some White colonizers PROBABLY got there before you and commodified the land’s natural resources and turned people’s homes into a tourist attraction.

To answer your question: Yes, the local people are talking about you in their language assuming that you can’t understand them, especially if they’re working and you’re on some arrogant, touristy BS. You do the same thing when you’re at home and you see somebody who ain’t from around there.

It’s a different country, yo. It’s not gonna be like Memphis in May. People do things differently in different places. That’s what makes travelling so awesome; you get to experience different cultures. Soak it in and enjoy it; it ain’t gonna kill you. But be careful with your foods. Lol.

Remember, the people working to make your stay great are probably disenfranchised more than you. So be kind.

I guess my primary disappointment is that the movie’s advertisement couched it as this “The Revolution WILL be Televised” kind of thing, and I rolled with the expectation of “School Daze” meets “A Different World.” But that was CLEARLY not AT ALL what they were trying to do. This was an interracial love story spun on the backdrop of a politically-charged post-Ferguson college campus.

At this point, I’ve read several criticisms that go deeply into various transgressions the series commits. Were just gonna sum them up this way: This is a comedic primer for the Black conscious agnostic or yet-to-be-woke; a 10-episode joke about Black activists at Black activists’ expense.

I was waiting on someone to come with that “We are not our ancestors” BS. Come to think of it, I think someone DID say it.

Dear White People contains several movement stereotypes:

“The Dedicated Organizer” (who was really so tired of it and just wanted to escape)

“The Loud-Mouthed Schmuck Radical” (who doesn’t know his head from his ass) and, of course, his mindless

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